untitled for the moment
by strangertrack
Summary: I'm just taking what you promised, Atobe Keigo leered down at the smaller girl, enjoying her ineffectual struggles. Spunky Tachibana Ann, who flirted with every tennis club member in the Kantou region but acted like she was too good to date any of them.


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**Chapter 1**

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"Let me go!"

"I'm just taking what you promised," Atobe Keigo leered down at the smaller girl, enjoying her ineffectual struggles. Spunky Tachibana Ann, who flirted with every tennis club member in the Kantou region but acted like she was too good to date any of them. She might be able to tease the inferior players with her cutesy act, but he wasn't about to be pushed around by any girl.

"You promised me a date. You wouldn't have been... lying... would you?"

He tightened his grip on her wrist, causing her to squeal in pain. "Let me go!" she cried again, using her free hand to beat at his arm as she strained backward.

He released her abruptly, and she fell backward, short skirt flying and elbows skidding on the hard gravel with a painful thump. Luckily, she was wearing long sleeves so she didn't scrape, but it definitely felt like it was going to bruise.

"You jerk!" she cried, hot tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to brush them away but didn't want to give him the satisfaction. She climbed painfully to her feet, rubbing at her reddened wrist and glaring up at the Hyotei captain.

Atobe smiled smugly at her. "Shall we go?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she spat out. Her fingers twitched, just dying to reach out and slap that arrogant smirk off his face. But the aching of her wrist reminded her that such a tactic wouldn't work, not with his quick reflexes and brute strength.

A fine brow lifted, maddeningly calm. "You don't have a choice. You can come willingly or I can pick you up and carry you off kicking and screaming like the little brat that you are."

This was too much for the bystanders to endure. Ann was well-known and liked by all on the street tennis courts. Many of the guys regarded the young girl as their favorite little sister, and to stand by doing nothing while she was being bullied was unforgivable, promise or no promise.

"Leave her alone." One of them stepped forward in defense and immediately, others joined him, murmuring their agreement.

Atobe acted as if they hadn't even spoken. "Well?"

She turned her head in disgust, not deigning to answer him. Nothing less from Tachibana's sister, Atobe thought with amusement. She was so sure of herself here in what was practically her second home, so sure that the others would come to her aid. "Kabaji, deal with the others," Atobe commanded.

"Usu." The hulking boy stepped in between his captain and the others to act as a human barrier. Easily, Atobe picked Ann up, slinging her fireman-style over his shoulder.

"Wa- wait! What are you doing? Let me down!" Ann shrieked, pounding his back and finding to her complete frustration that he didn't seem to care.

"Hey, let her go!"

Kabaji stepped in the protester's way, making his message clear: You had to get through him to get to Ann.

While the crowd wasn't exactly happy about seeing Atobe cart her away, they weren't angry enough to act violently to get through the passive wall that was Kabaji. They were shifting uneasily, in a state of indecision. They wouldn't be coming to help her anytime soon, and her struggles weren't slowing down Atobe in the least.

Never had Ann felt so helpless and weak.

"Let me go! You monster! Kidnapper! Pervert!" Her screams were as ineffectual as her fists, but she continued to rail at him as he carried her down the stairs. Hopefully someone, maybe Kamio or one of the others, would come by and put a stop to this degradation. Until then, she would let this guy know just how much she hated him. Very vocally.

No one came.

Atobe set her down once they reached the bottom, keeping a firm grip on her upper arm so she couldn't run. She squirmed as he pushed her up against the wall, face close enough for her to realize that he wasn't even breathing heavily. He looked her over lazily, cold eyes assessing every detail of her lightly trembling form.

One of her pins had gotten lost somewhere along the way, causing her short brown hair to swing sloppily into her eyes. Her clothes were in wild disarray with slight tears on the elbows, her face was bright red with anger, and dried tear tracks ran faintly down her cheeks. She was beautiful in all her impotent rage.

"Tsk. Not attractive at all," Atobe finally sneered, roughly fisting a handful of hair.

Ann instinctively jerked away and cried out.

"I think I'll pass on that date," the silver-haired boy said disdainfully. He opened up his hand, letting the soft locks slip through his fingers and settle back in place as he stepped back so their bodies were no longer touching.

"Go to hell."

He chuckled. "Of course, I think I'm still entitled to a kiss." And before the startled girl could react, Atobe had pressed forward once more, covering her open mouth with his own.

"Mmphf-!"

It was a painful kiss, lips mashing and teeth knocking as Ann tried to break it off and Atobe just as determinedly wouldn't let her. It lasted much too long in Ann's opinion, and even when it ended, she could taste the vileness in her mouth. She bent over, scrubbing furiously at her lips with the back of her hand while Atobe raked a hand through his bangs, looking far too satisfied with himself.

"Well, that was slightly better than horrible. Na, Kabaji?" Atobe turned to Kabaji, who had joined them sometime during the process and was watching expressionlessly.

"Ann-chan!"

"Let's go, Kabaji."

"Usu."

"Ann-chan!" The call was louder this time, and Kamio skidded around the corner at full speed. He was followed a split second later by Momoshiro.

With a casual wave, Atobe strolled down the street in the opposite direction, Kabaji carrying both their tennis bags and following half a step behind like a docile child.

"Ann-chan! What happened?" Kamio asked over panted breaths when he reached her. He hovered protectively, one visible eye filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Was it that Atobe guy just now?" Momoshiro demanded, glaring angrily after the two Hyotei players but not giving chase. He was more concerned with making sure Ann-chan was okay than on getting any revenge.

"Mm. I'm fine," Ann shook her head, forcing a smile on her face. She was anything BUT fine. She wanted to go home and take a long, hot shower, and maybe curl up in bed with her Penguin-chan and try to forget the day had ever happened. Never before had anyone treated her so horribly, like she was some toy for their personal amusement, her own feelings be damned.

The dark look on her face didn't go unnoticed.

"He did something, didn't he?" Kamio insisted. "One of the guys called to say he forced you into another ridiculous bet."

"Nothing happened." She wondered if the lie was apparent to them as it sounded to her. "Absolutely nothing," she repeated.

"I don't trust that guy," Kamio griped, doubling his hands into fists. Despite her denial, her sorry state spoke for itself. Something had definitely happened. Something he should have been here to prevent, but hadn't. He was angry at himself for failing, when he had vowed to protect Ann at all times. He had promised his captain that nothing would happen to her if he had to give his own life for it.

"We have to tell TachiÑ"

"No one's telling my brother anything," Ann cut in sharply. A fight was the reason her brother couldn't go to nationals the year before and she wouldn't have him make the same mistake again. Not at his last year in the Fudomine's tennis club. Not when the other players were counting on him to lead them to championship.

She folded her arms across her chest and met Kamio's gaze squarely. He looked away first and she shifted her stare to Momoshiro, challenging him to disagree.

"Hey, it's your decision," he said quickly, raising his hands defensively. "Although I think rhythm boy is right."

"Hmph." Ann smiled, linking arms with both of them. "Let's forget this mess and go on a date~" she sang cheerfully.

It got the reaction she wanted.

"Eh?!" Both boys blushed deep red, completely distracted from the original topic.

"Y-you can't go on a date with two boys at once," Kamio protested.

"Why not?"

"You... just can't."

"If a cute girl says she can, just listen to her."

"Unless you're volunteering to leave," Momoshiro couldn't help adding.

"Teme!" Kamio shouted over Ann's head, vein throbbing on his temple. "You'd just LOVE that, wouldn't you?"

"Hey, you're the one that suggested it!"

"I DID NO SUCH THING!"

Ann laughed, feeling the tension melt away as she walked between the two. They were so wonderfully predictable and comfortable to be around, and their shouting matches brought out the simple-minded hot-bloodedness that she adored about the two.

With that, she pushed all thoughts of a certain arrogant captain out of her mind.

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**to be continued.**

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This was supposed to be an Arai fic... O_o I've completely failed. But hopefully, this was fairly interesting despite lack of shounen ai.

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August 17, 2003


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